Hertfordshire, like Essex, is a sea of blue politically nowadays. It was not always so. Like Essex it had a good number of Labour MPs in 1997 and the immediately following elections, and the demise of Labour here, as in Essex, explains why we are not in government. Well, explains in part. We have to win seats in the south and east of England if we are to win power nationally, and this means Essex and Hertfordshire.

The trick, I guess, is to work out what we have to do to appeal to the voters in this part of the country. Progress has been made, though, which has been somewhat obscured by the national picture. Earlier this month, with gains in Cambridge and Norwich South, Labour has doubled its representation in the East of England. We need to get into double figures, I think something like thirteen seats in the East (of 58) would likely signal a Labour Government.